Complainant alleged the City violated the APRA when it denied his request for Police and Fire candidate ranking lists pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-2(4)(L). Based on our in camera review of the ranking lists, we determined that the lists did not fall within Exemption L and that the City violated the APRA by withholding the records pursuant to that exemption. In responding to the Complaint, the City asserted that the records were also exempt pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-2(4)(A)(I)(b). In light of this Office's precedent and the personal information contained in the records, we found good cause to not consider that exemption waived and to analyze whether disclosure of the lists would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-2(4)(A)(I)(b). Based on our review, we determined that disclosure of the lists in their entirety implicated privacy interests that outweighed the public interest asserted by the Complainant. We directed the City provide Complainant with the requested records, but with the names of the individual candidates and other personally identifiable information redacted. VIOLATION FOUND.
